| WASHINGTON, DC - ConservAmerica has joined with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, the National Lime Association, the Aluminum Association, and the American Chemistry Council in submitting comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to proposed regulations targeting fossil-fueled power plants emissions along with the repeal of the Affordable Clean Energy Rule. "It’s important to acknowledge the potential that the two technologies that EPA points to as essential for the implementation of its rule - carbon capture and storage and hydrogen co-firing - can have in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Todd Johnston, Vice President for ConservAmerica. “However, imposing overly ambitious timelines for their implementation is counterproductive. The proposed rule is all but certain to make electricity more costly and less reliable while discouraging investment and development in the very technologies it purports to support. In the long run, the EPA’s rule is likely to hinder the potential positive impact these technologies could have on global emissions reduction. “Additionally, the proposed rule highlights the persistent need for permitting reform. To accommodate the substantial infrastructure changes the rule would require, thousands of miles of new pipeline would be needed to transport carbon dioxide and hydrogen gases. Building this infrastructure is simply not possible under the current regulatory structure. “The proposed rule seems to have been written in a silo, without consideration for what will be required to implement it, or its implications. The EPA should withdraw the proposal, and instead work on sustainable, technologically achievable solutions to reduce emissions.” To read the comments submitted, click here. |
